Baptism

Baptism is the sacrament that marks the beginning of the entire Christian life and is the first of the sacraments of initiation.  In Baptism we are freed from sin and become sons and daughters of God.  In the sacrament we receive the very life of God, become part of the Body of Christ, become members of the Church, and are called to share in its mission.

IMPORTANT: ALL documents/requirements must be completed in order to reserve a Baptism date at St. Luke Catholic Church.

Requirements for Parents:

• The norm for parents presenting children for baptism is that they consent for the child to be baptized in the faith.
• Be a registered parishioner of St. Luke Catholic Church
• If you would like to join St. Luke Catholic Church, print and complete our Parishioner Registration Form, then stop by our parish office to drop it off. 
• Parents should complete the Baptism registration form as soon as possible.
• Once the form is completed, we will reach out to you to schedule the next step of the preparation process.

Baptism Class:

To prepare for Baptism, parents are invited to participate in faith-filled catechesis that meets the appropriate needs of the family. The first step of the preparation process is to schedule a meeting with the Pastor. Once each family has met with the Pastor, they will be scheduled to attend a Baptism preparation class.
The Baptism preparation class is required if this is your first child baptized in our parish or if your last class attended in our parish was longer than 2 years ago.  Godparents are encouraged to attend the class as well but may also attend a Baptism preparation class at their parish of registration.
The class is normally scheduled the second Tuesday of each month at 7 PM in the parish hall.  The class lasts 60-90 minutes.  Please call the parish office at 904-282-0439 to register for this class in advance.
It is preferred that both parents attend this class together prior to the birth of their child.

Birth Certificate:
A copy of a state issued birth certificate (issued through a county) for children must be in the parish office prior to scheduling the baptism. It can take up to 3 months after the child is born to receive the birth certificate.
It is important that the parish be able to properly identify and verify the child’s birth information (i.e. parent’s names, legal name of child, etc.) when preparing the Baptism Certificate.


Child Baptism Registration Form

Adults and children who have reached the age of reason (age seven), who are unbaptized or baptized in another Christian faith tradition and seek to embrace the Catholic faith, participate in an initiation process called the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults). Both adults and children are fully initiated into the Catholic Church during this process, celebrating Baptism, if needed, Confirmation, and First Eucharist.

For more information visit the Becoming Catholic page.

For more information on Baptisms from the USCCB click HERE.